Are birth and death certificates subject to disclosure by a hospital?

The assertion that birth and death certificates are not subject to disclosure by a hospital is accurate because these documents are typically issued by a state's vital records office rather than the hospital itself. While hospitals may generate and maintain records related to births and deaths, the official certificates are usually not directly provided by the institution. Instead, individuals must request these certificates from the designated state or local government agencies that handle vital records, which have specific policies and legal frameworks governing their issuance.

This understanding clarifies the distinction between the hospital's records and the final birth or death certificates, which impacts how and from where individuals can access this sensitive information.